The Pokémon themselves are the soul of Pokémon GO. As obvious as it gets, Pokémon GO is directly inspired by the Pokémon franchise, which has been top-rated since its inception in the late 1990s. The way you catch and train Pokémon in this game is the same as in the traditional Pokémon series. Pokémon GO was developed by Niantic, Inc. in collaboration with Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, and originated from a 2014 April Fools’ joke called Google Maps: Pokémon Challenge.
Recognizing the potential of merging Pokémon with augmented reality (AR), Niantic, known for its expertise in AR and location-based games like Ingress, was chosen to bring the concept to life. It didn’t take long for the game to become a global sensation in 2016, dominating app stores and breaking all sorts of records. Pokémon GO is still a blast because they’re always tinkering with it, throwing in those fun seasonal events, and adding new features like trading, raid battles, and player competitions.
It was in March 2017 that Shiny Pokémon were introduced to Pokémon GO. The Water Festival event marked the debut of shiny Pokémon in the game, with the shiny variant of Magikarp being the first to appear. Since then, shiny Pokémon have been periodically introduced into the game through various events, raids, research tasks, and encounters in the wild. They are prized by players for their rarity and unique appearance.
Regular Pokémon and their shiny variants have distinct appearances. Shiny Pokémon have alternate color schemes compared to their regular counterparts. For instance, a regular Pikachu is yellow, but a shiny Pikachu is orange. Shiny Pokémon are much rarer to encounter in the game compared to their regular forms, making them highly sought after by players. Here’s your ultimate roundup of the 9 shiny Pokémon that are worth hunting down in Pokémon Go.
Shiny Blissey
It’s a widely held belief that Blissey is one of the sweetest Pokémon in appearance. Blissey has a round, egg-like body, and bulging eyes, is adorned in a gentle shade of pink from head to toe, and wears a cheerful expression. Its cuteness might mislead you, but it’s actually considered one of the strongest tanks around.
Blissey has a towering base HP of 496, so she absorbs hits like a fortress, shrugging off attacks even amidst fierce counter-offensives. Shiny Blissey may seem like it doesn’t look much different from a regular Blissey, but its shade is paler than the regular one, so it’s still obviously a rare variant. To nab a shiny Blissey in Pokémon GO, your first move is to track down a shiny Chansey. Hunt for it in the wild or tackle Chansey raids. Once you’ve caught it, evolve with 50 Candy for your shiny Blissey.
Shiny Snorlax
Practically everyone within gaming or anime circles knows Snorlax, the famously difficult-to-wake-up Pokémon when it’s asleep. It has a rotund body covered in thick, shaggy blue-gray fur, complemented by cream-colored accents on its face, belly, and feet. Although Snorlax is known far and wide for its lazy ways, its strength in Pokémon GO comes from its high stamina and bulk, perfect for holding down gyms or taking on challengers. It could be a bit tricky to figure out which is which, but the shiny Snorlax is a tad bluer.
To up your odds of stumbling upon a shiny Snorlax in Pokémon GO, participate in featured events with boosted wild spawn rates. Take advantage of Lure Modules, Incense, and maximize the benefits of Weather Boosts, especially during partly cloudy weather. You could try Snorlax raids at the 3-star level but don’t expect to find a Shiny Pokémon every time. Raid’s success hinges on assembling a strategic team and understanding Snorlax’s strengths and weaknesses.
Shiny Kartana
Kartana has a striking appearance that reflects its Steel/Grass typing and its Ultra Beast classification. It has a humanoid shape, with a body that appears to be composed of sharp, angular metallic sheets resembling origami. Its head is also angular, with a metallic “helmet” that covers part of its face, leaving only its glowing eyes visible. Its limbs are thin and blade-like, with sharp edges reminiscent of swords or knives.
It has a high Attack stat, meaning it deals a lot of damage with moves like Leaf Blade. Its Speed statistic grants it rapid mobility during encounters. The standout colors of shiny Kartana are orange and white. To snag a Shiny Kartana in Pokémon GO, tackle 5-star raids and take down Kartana. These raids are no joke, so team up for a better shot at victory. Kartana thrives in raids, so plot your moves carefully and choose Pokémon that exploit its weaknesses.
Shiny Gyarados
Gyarados is a large, serpentine Pokémon with a fearsome appearance. Its body is primarily blue, with a lighter shade on its underbelly. Gyarados has a long, dragon-like neck, and its head features a pair of fierce-looking eyes and a large mouth filled with sharp teeth. On its back, Gyarados has several fins running along its spine, which are typically red in color. These fins can flare up when Gyarados is angered or threatened. Gyarados also has a pair of large, powerful-looking wings, which it uses to soar through the skies despite its primarily Water-type affiliation. Much like it sounds when described, Gyarados is undoubtedly feared.
Its high Attack stat allows it to deal significant damage with physical moves, especially when using powerful attacks like Hydro Pump, Aqua Tail, Hurricane, and Aerial Ace. Shiny Gyarados is red with gold fins and an underbelly. To find Shiny Gyarados in Pokémon GO, focus on Magikarp events for Shiny chances. Use items like Lure Modules, especially during rainy weather, and join 1-star raids for more encounters. Once you catch a Shiny Magikarp, gather 400 Candy to evolve it into Shiny Gyarados. You can also participate in Mega Gyarados raids for a chance to encounter Shiny Gyarados directly.
Shiny Charizard
Charizard is a dragon-like Pokémon with orange scales covering most of its body. It has a cream-colored underside from its chest to the tip of its tail. Charizard’s wings are large and membrane-like, with jagged edges reminiscent of flames. Its wingspan is splendid, and it can fly at high speeds. It has sharp claws on its feet and hands, and its tail has a flame burning at the tip. To put it plainly, its Fire-type moves are effective against many Pokémon types. Fire Spin paired with Blast Burn forms Charizard’s optimal moveset, reaching a peak CP of 2,889.
Increase your odds of capturing a Shiny Charizard in Pokémon GO by participating in events like Community Days, which enhance the spawn rates of Charmander, thereby boosting your chances of encountering its Shiny form. Make the most of sunny weather to find more Charmanders by using Lure Modules and Incense to draw them out. Once you’ve got your hands on a Shiny Charmander, simply level it up to Charizard by evolving it into Charmeleon with Charmander Candy. You can grab that candy from events and tick off tasks.
Shiny Zangoose
Zangoose has a sleek and agile appearance, resembling a white mongoose, with its body covered in smooth white fur and a slender build. The most striking feature of Zangoose’s appearance is its vivid red markings, which adorn its face, ears, and the tips of its bushy tail. These markings contrast sharply against its white fur, which makes it look eye-catching. Zangoose is a beastly Normal-type attacker, easily breaking through defensive walls. Its STAB-boosted Facade, paired with Toxic Orb and Toxic Boost, deals devastating damage.
Its move pool is stacked with versatile options like Knock Off and Close Combat, which cover Ghost, Rock, and Steel-type foes effectively. To find a Shiny Zangoose in Pokémon GO, focus on events featuring it (Rivals Week, for example). During these events, Zangoose spawns increase, and there are more raid battles, which means more chances of encountering one. Use items like Incense and Lure Modules, especially in partly cloudy weather, which boosts Zangoose spawns.
Shiny Regirock
It’s safe to say that Regirock is one of the Legendary Pokémon in Pokémon Go. Regirock is an imposing and sturdy Pokémon with a distinctly rocky and golem-like appearance. Its body resembles a humanoid figure, standing on two sturdy legs with broad, flat feet. Its arms are thick and angular, resembling slabs of stone, and it has three fingers on each hand. The head of Regirock is solid and square-shaped, with two glowing orange eyes peering out from within deep sockets.
Its rock-type abilities make it resistant to certain attacks, but it’s weak against others. Its high defense also lets it shrug off plenty of attacks in battles. To boost your chances of finding a Shiny Regirock in Pokémon GO raids, team up with others for 5-star raids. Pick Pokémon with moves that exploit Regirock’s weaknesses, like Fighting, Grass, Ground, Steel, and Water. Join as many raids as you can, since each victory increases your odds.
Shiny Braviary
Braviary is a striking Pokémon with a design inspired by a bald eagle. It has a predominantly red and white color scheme, with blue accents on its wings and tail. Its body is muscular and well-built, and the head features a prominent crest resembling a Native American headdress. If that’s not enough, it also boasts sharp, keen eyes and formidable talons. Braviary can zip through the air at high speeds, powered by its incredibly strong wings, which enable it to execute powerful aerial maneuvers and strikes. Shiny Braviary has a deep navy blue body instead of red. Its wings and tail feathers are white instead of red, and the crest on its head changes from red to bright blue.
To get a Shiny Braviary in Pokémon Go during the Secrets of the Jungle event, you need to find and evolve a Shiny Rufflet. There are two main ways to find a Shiny Rufflet: hatching 5km eggs and participating in 1-star raids. Focus on incubating 5km eggs and doing as many Rufflet raids as possible. Once you have a Shiny Rufflet, collect 50 Rufflet Candy by catching more Rufflets, using Rare Candies, or walking with Rufflet as your buddy. After gathering enough Candy, you can evolve your Shiny Rufflet into a Shiny Braviary.
Shiny Durant
Durant is an ant-like Pokémon with a sleek, metallic appearance that highlights its Bug and Steel typing. Its body is segmented and primarily silver-gray, and the head is relatively large with a pair of long, sharp mandibles, also metallic but darker in shade. Durant has six thin, pointed legs that end in sharp tips, and it also has two long, segmented antennae extending from its head. Durant is a Steel-type Pokémon, known for its strong defense and decent attack.
It can take hits well and dish out damage with moves like X-Scissor and Iron Head. Although it’s extra weak to Fire-type moves, it is still a solid choice for battles, whether defending Gyms or taking down Raid bosses weak against Bug or Steel-type attacks. A Shiny Durant is golden with blue eyes, whereas the regular one is gray with red eyes. Just like with any other shiny Pokémon, if you want to catch a Shiny Durant in Pokémon GO, jump into the in-game events featuring Durant.
These events boost its spawn rate, making it more likely to encounter a shiny version. Capitalize items like Incense and Lure Modules in areas where Durant is known to spawn, especially during rainy or snowy weather, for additional spawn boosts. Alternatively, if you’re up for it, joining Durant raids as a 3-star boss might net you a Shiny, but (again) it’s not guaranteed. If you’re up for playing Rise of the Ronin, make your odyssey smooth sailing with our beginner’s guide, which includes 5 things you should do first.
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